Whether you’re a minimalist like me or not, the rules of good design are the same. The goal is the same as well – to get the attention of your audience.

You could have good content on your website, but if your intended audience doesn’t bother to have a second look, your efforts could be in vain.

This is where a good web design comes in. It creates a good first impression. And if you want to be in the good books of search engines like Google, you should be able to engage your audience and ensure that they spend time on your site.

Below are seven tips on web design that I find very useful and that I want to share with you.

1. Plan carefully

I know this sounds like common sense, but most designers fail to plan carefully. By this, I mean thinking about and really getting to know who the users of the site are.

Create a persona that represents the audience because, whether we like it or not, our audience is not everyone. By having a persona, you would be forced to think about their age, careers, education level and preferences.

2. Use colours wisely

I prefer designs that stick to two main colours. These should be well thought out as they are very related to the branding of the company.

If you’ve planned well, you’ll know what colours appeal to your audience. Although this could be working on the sub-conscious level, it can affect the decisions of your customers.

Also, be on the lookout for good colour combinations every time you are browsing the internet or the malls.

3. Use enticing images

We all know that a picture paints a thousand words. Make sure that you use images that are enticing or arouse the curiosity of people, although we should also be careful that it does not mislead them.

Providing more white spaces is also a way to avoid distraction for your readers. Distraction is also the reason why I’m not into sliders.

Avoiding clutter gives your audience more focus on your message. But this also does not mean less content as you can quickly lose your audience if they have nothing to consume.

5. Ensure mobile-responsiveness

This is one important thing that I learned from my friend who is an SEO Consultant

Making your website mobile-responsive is not anymore an option but a must. More than 50% of Google searchers do their search on their phone so if your website is not mobile-friendly, Google will not rank your site. Meaning, fewer eyeballs on your website or probably none.

6. Simplify navigation

Having loads of dropdowns and links can be confusing and can provide options that will make your visitor eventually leave your site.

So if you already have navigation buttons on the top then just clear the sides for probably more engaging content.

7. Use style guides

Having a style guide allows you to have consistency on your site in terms of colour palettes, fonts, font sizes, etc. It also allows you to work seamlessly if you outsource part of the work to others, as you working towards a similar look.

Having a good design gives you the benefit of catching people’s attention but to keep that make sure that you have engaging and useful content on your website. This is what makes people want to go back to your site for more.

I hope these tips have given you something to think about. I will continue to be on the lookout for more tips that I could share here.

In a world where people want instant gratification and where space is a luxury, icons are here to stay.

Icons are so simple but they can sometimes convey the complex of messages. I could imagine it being similar from how people from ages ago communicate using smoke signals. Short but sweet.

Most people think visually thus icons are an instant hit. But their meanings can easily be mixed up due maybe to a person’s orientation, culture or just a different point of view. Nevertheless, I still love them.

There are hundreds or even thousands of icon sets available in the internet. Some are free and some aren’t. Most websites that I see use monochrome icons, which I suppose are easier to integrate into a site on a design perspective, but I personally prefer multi-colored icons. There’s just more life in color.

You can create your own icons using free software or you can use Adobe Illustrator. I love how some creators theme their icons for travel, business, social media, education, music or even occasions. You can also get free icons from a site called Canva.

This blog is about digital icons and all things web design. I’ll keep everything simple here. I just want to take imperfect action with the goal of being able to have my own web design agency one day.